Volume exchanger valve system and method to increase circulation during CPR

1. A device to augment circulation during the performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a patient in cardiac arrest, the device comprising:

a housing having a rescuer port and a patient port, an exhalation one way valve and an inhalation one way valve which is biased in a closed position;

wherein the housing and one way valves are configured such that a volume of respiratory gas expelled from the lungs during each chest compression enters the housing through the patient port, passes through the exhalation one way valve and exits the rescuer port, and wherein, when the chest wall recoils, oxygen containing gasses are prevented from entering the lungs through the rescuer port by both of the one way valves;

a ventilation source to inject an oxygen-containing gas into the housing, to open the inhalation one way valve, and to pass through the rescuer port and to the patient to periodically expand the lungs with the oxygen-containing gases; and

wherein the inhalation one way valve is configured to remain closed during multiple, successive chest decompressions so that respiratory gasses are prevented from reaching the lungs through the inhalation one way valve over successive chest compression/chest recoil cycles to successively decrease the volume of respiratory gasses in the lungs thereby allowing more blood to enter the thoracic space.

2. A device to augment circulation during the performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a patient in cardiac arrest, the device comprising:

a housing having a rescuer port and a patient port;

a valve system disposed in the housing;

wherein the housing and the valve system are configured such that a volume of respiratory gas expelled from the lungs during each chest compression enters the housing through the patient port, passes through the valve system and exits the rescuer port, and wherein, when the chest wall recoils, oxygen containing gases are prevented from entering the lungs through the patient port by the valve system;

a ventilation source to inject an oxygen-containing gas into the housing, to pass through the valve system, and to pass through the patient port and to the patient to periodically expand the lungs with the oxygen-containing gases;

at least one physiological sensor that is selected from a group consisting of airway pressure sensors, carbon dioxide sensors, electrocardiogram signal sensors, impedance sensors to detect air/blood ratio in the thorax and

a communication system to permit signals from the physiological sensor to be transmitted to a CPR device used during resuscitation to provide feedback for at least one of how to perform CPR, an optimal time to actively inflate the lungs with respiratory gases and an optimal time to defibrillate, and further comprising timing lights that are configured to light to assist a rescuer in performing CPR.

3. A device as in claim 2 , wherein the valve system includes at least one valve selected from a group consisting of a check valve, a spring valve, a duck valveand an electronically-controlled valve.

4. A device as in claim 2 , wherein the ventilation source is selected from a group consisting of mouth-to-mouth ventilation, a mouth-mask, a resuscitator bag, an automatic ventilator, a semi-automatic ventilator, a body cuirass and an iron-lung device.

5. A device as in claim 2 , wherein the valve system includesa means to impede the exodus of respiratory gases from the lungs with a fixed or variable resistance that is in the range from about 0 to about 10 cm H 2 O.

6. A device as in claim 2 , further comprising a supply system to deliver a low flow and volume of continuous oxygen into the lungs which is less than the volume of respiratory gases expelled with successive chest compressions so that the number of times that the lungs are expanded with oxygen-containing gases is reduced by the low level of continuous oxygen insufflation.

7. A device as in claim 2 , wherein the valve system comprises a pair of one way valves that are separately configured to open with opposite gas flows through the housing.

8. A device to augment circulation during the performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a patient in cardiac arrest, the device comprising:

a housing having a rescuer port and a patient port;

means for regulating gas flows through the housing, wherein the means for regulating is configured such that a volume of respiratory gas expelled from the lungs during each chest compression enters the housing through the patient port and exits the rescuer port, and wherein, when the chest wall recoils, oxygen containing gases are prevented from entering the lungs through the patient port; and

a ventilation source to inject an oxygen-containing gas into the housing and to pass through the patient port and to the patient to periodically expand the lungs with the oxygen-containing gases; wherein the means for regulating is further configured to prevent oxygen containing gases from reaching the lungs through the patient port over multiple, successive chest compressions and recoils such that a volume of at least about 4 cc/kg to about 15 cc/kg of respiratory gasses are expelled from the lungs but not replaced while performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

9. A device as in claim 8 , wherein the means for regulating gas flows comprises a pair of one way valves that are separately configured to open with opposite gas flows through the housing.

10. A device as in claim 1 , further comprising a monitoring system to measure the total volume expelled from the lungs while performing CPR.

11. A device as in claim 8 , further comprising a monitoring system to measure the total volume expelled from the lungs while performing CPR.